SMILE! Joaquin Phoenix Shines In First JOKER Trailer

Director Todd Phillips has been teasing fans for months. However, with today’s trailer, we finally get to see the Joker in all his glory. This morning Warner Bros gave us our first look at the upcoming standalone Phillips film. And, boy it’s a doozy.

The Joker. (Image: Warner Bros)

“I used to think my life was a tragedy,” says Arthur Fleck, the man who will become the legendary Batman villain known as the Joker. He’s played chillingly by Joaquin Phoenix. “But now I realize it’s a comedy.”

Already from this trailer we can see the sadistic, grimy, dark turn in which Phoenix has taken this version of the iconic villain. We are told that the film follows the transformation of a struggling stand-up comedian to a full-blown criminal force of nature.

The film also stars Zazie Beetz as a single mother and love interest of the Joker. The legendary Robert DeNiro joins them as talk show host Murray Franklin. Likewise, Marc Maron will appear as the agent responsible for getting the Joker on Franklin’s talk show. The film also stars Frances Conroy, Josh Pais, Bill Camp, Glenn Fleshler, Douglas Hodge, Shea Whigham, and Bret Cullen as Thomas Wayne.